The Pacific Crest Trail south of Boulder Oaks winds through a huge meadow dotted with old oak trees. CREDIT: Priscilla Lister

Hike the Pacific Crest Trail south from the Boulder Oaks campground and you’ll encounter, appropriately, lots of big boulders and beautiful oaks.

Lining the few riparian habitats along streams — mostly dry in the fall — you’ll also enjoy our fall color, bright yellow, in the stately cottonwood trees with their heart-shaped leaves as well as the arroyo willow trees.

The PCT is open to equestrians and hikers as well as dogs on leashes here, because it’s on Cleveland National Forest land. Dogs are not allowed on state park lands, including the PCT where it crosses state parks. Bicycles are not allowed on the PCT.

From Boulder Oaks to Lake Morena County Park, the PCT covers a bit more than 5.5 miles. But I went just a little more than 2.8 miles one way, making a round trip of about 5.65 miles. From Boulder Oaks to its southern terminus near Campo, the PCT covers about 22 miles.

Of course, these mileages are nothing compared with hiking the entire PCT, which zigzags 2,650 miles from the U.S-Mexico border near Campo to the border of Canada in Washington. According to the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail Map published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the PCT crosses national monuments, national parks, national forests, Bureau of Land Management land, federally designated wilderness areas, state and county parks and tribal lands along the way. It ascends more than 57 major mountain passes. Temperatures can exceed 100 degrees in the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park and drop to below freezing in the Sierra Nevada mountains.

Of the 11 national scenic trails, the PCT encompasses the greatest elevation range, from 140 feet above sea level in the Columbia River Gorge between Oregon and Washington to 13,200 feet at Forester Pass in California’s Sierra Nevada. It goes through six of North America’s seven ecozones: alpine tundra, subalpine forest, upper montane forest, lower montane forest, upper Sonoran and lower Sonoran.

This portion of the PCT south from Boulder Oaks offers a very easy — practically flat — grade for most of the way.

Shortly after the campground, the trail dips into one of those riparian stream areas, loaded with yellow cottonwoods and willows in autumn, then heads up a bit as it winds east toward Buckman Springs Road. Then it follows along the east of that road and passes through some fine old oak groves before reaching an enormous meadow area.

When I stopped to photograph one of the massive coast live oak trees, the most common large tree in our county, all of a sudden a huge dark-orange flash flew out of that tree. It flew away too fast to make identification, but it may have been a great horned or barn owl whose daytime slumber was disturbed.

At nearly 2 miles from Boulder Oaks, the PCT reaches a bridge that holds Buckman Springs Road. It’s easy to make a wrong turn here. To stay on the PCT, go to the eastern end of that bridge and follow the PCT signs. After you cross under the bridge near its eastern end, the trail climbs uphill for the most elevation gain on this section (about 400 more feet) as it heads toward Lake Morena.